American Discovery Trail - Elizabethtown Trailhead - Hiking and walking trailheads on Waymarking.com

The American Discovery Trail is the first coast-to-coast non-motorized recreational trail in the USA.

The American Discovery Trail is about 6,800 miles long, but this figure combines the totals of the two routes across the Midwest. The coast-to-coast distance using the northern route (through Chicago) is 4,834 miles. The distance using the southern route (through St. Louis) is 5,057 miles.

About a third of the ADT is single-track trail. Another third goes through greenways, parks, rail-trail conversions, and open spaces, where the surface may be dirt, asphalt, crushed stone, etc. The last third is on roads, primarily country roads, both paved and unpaved, with light traffic, including farm vehicles, etc., but in some instances city sidewalks and highways.

There is no public parking at this location, but long-term parking can be arranged at the self-storage facility down the street at 39° 9.685'N 84° 48.503'W.

Trailhead/trail website: [Web Link] Trail allowances or restrictions: About 850 miles of the ADT are not open to bicycles because the trail is too rough, rocky, and/or steep for bikes to be practical or the local trail management policy excludes bicycle use (such as in wilderness areas). You can do the entire ADT by bicycle by using bicycle detours which are shown in some of the trail descriptions for each state or which can be obtained by consulting the state coordinator. Although a road bike may suffice in most of the Midwest, a mountain bike is required for other parts of the ADT. Many trail sections that are passable on a day ride are too difficult on a bicycle laden with camping gear. Horses are allowed on most of the ADT. A few examples of the places where they are prohibited include the eastern 12 miles of the C&O Canal into Washington, D.C.; the Knobstone Trail and Adventure Trail in Indiana; most of the Katy Trail in Missouri (only 20 miles between Sedalia and Calhoun are open to horses); and many of the rail-trails in Iowa. In addition, where the trail passes through urban areas, equestrians may find the going difficult. The ADT Society is working on alternative equestrian routes, but crossing the country via horseback is probably the most logistically challenging transportation mode. The ADT Society has no policy regarding dogs, but the trail passes through many diverse jurisdictions that may have rules regarding dogs on their trails. The ADT goes through a number national and state parks and some of those do have restrictions, especially in wilderness areas. Trail type: varies Parking: Not Listed

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